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Difficulty: HardLiterary Allusions and Their Functions

Read the following passage carefully:

The library at the estate was a vaulted chamber of dark mahogany and leaded glass, housing the late collector’s legendary archive of early manuscripts. For years, Thomas had dreamed of this room, imagining himself turning the fragile, vellum pages that held the lost commentaries of the medieval mystics. Now, he stood in the center of the room, but the towering shelves were encased in fine wire mesh, secured by heavy brass padlocks. The key was in the possession of the executor, who resided in a distant city and ignored Thomas’s weekly letters. Thomas could press his face against the cold wire, smell the sweet, decaying scent of the ancient paper, and read the titles gilded on the crumbling spines just inches from his fingertips. In his dreams that night, he was back in the room, reaching out as the shelves receded into the shadows, a modern Tantalus surrounded by a wealth he could perceive but never possess.

Which of the following best describes the function of the allusion to Tantalus in the final sentence of the passage?

  1. A
    emphasize the physical exhaustion Thomas experiences from his daily work in the library
  2. underscore the agonizing nature of Thomas's proximity to the locked manuscriptsAnswer
  3. C
    suggest that Thomas's desire for the books is driven by a quest for forbidden, occult knowledge
  4. D
    foreshadow the eventual destruction of the manuscripts before Thomas can read them
  5. E
    contrast Thomas's scholarly ambition with the executor's indifference to the collection

Answer

The allusion to Tantalus primarily serves to underscore the agonizing nature of Thomas's proximity to the locked manuscripts.
The correct option correctly identifies that the allusion to Tantalus—who was eternally tormented by food and water receding just out of his reach—serves to highlight the agony of Thomas's extreme proximity to the locked manuscripts that he is barred from reading.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the allusion and its mythological source
The text refers to Thomas as a 'modern Tantalus'. In Greek mythology, Tantalus was punished by being placed in a pool of water beneath fruit tree branches, with the water and fruit receding whenever he tried to reach them.
Understanding the core myth is necessary to analyze how the author applies its meaning to the character's situation.
2
Connect the allusion to the immediate context of the passage
Thomas stands in a library filled with books he can see and smell 'just inches from his fingertips,' yet they are locked away from him, and in his dream, they 'receded into the shadows.'
This establishes the parallel between Tantalus's physical torment of unreachable sustenance and Thomas's intellectual torment of locked knowledge.
3
Evaluate the choices to find the one representing this thematic function
The choice stating that the allusion underscores the agonizing nature of Thomas's proximity to the locked manuscripts directly captures this dynamic of visible but unreachable desire.
This matches the analytical function of characterization and thematic framing required by the AP Lit standard.

Key Concept

Literary Allusions and Their Functions
Estimated Time:2m 0s
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Topics

Literary Allusions and Their Functions

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